Brown overtook Jon Zimmerman on the last lap and held on for a victory in the 104th DYC Detroit APBA Gold Cup on the Detroit River on Sunday.

“I could quit today and be remembered as one of the good ones,” Brown, 37, said after he drove the U-95 Spirit of Qatar to the Unlimited hydroplane victory. “That’s something that is humbling and overwhelming. Unbelievable.”

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David, competing for the Gold Cup for the 22nd year, and a 12-time runner-up in the race, was again denied his first win in boat racing’s premier event.

The top qualifier, and the weekend points leader heading into the final, David accelerated to the lead early in the five-lap race, but his U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto was penalized a lap by H1 Unlimited for a lane violation on the first lap.

“Complete (bs),” David said of the penalty for an illegal lane change.

David said he would appeal the decision.

“Which,” he said, “will be useless because we have the worst (bleeping) referees in the universe.

“We won that thing fair and square, going away.”

David’s boat was called for cutting off the U-5 Graham Trucking boat driven by Jimmy Shane.

David’s misfortune left the battle for the Gold Cup between Brown and Zimmerman, who was in the U-9 Team Red Dot.

“(Jon) got in some bad water,” Brown said moments after he stepped from the dock and accepted congratulations from his crew.

“He had a couple of boat lengths on me,” Brown continued. “I saw him get a bit loose and have to get out of (the throttle). I never lifted (off the gas) from that point on. There was no way I was going to lift.”

The late Terry Troxell, Brown’s father-in-law, won the Gold Cup in 2005.